Act 10 Taxpayer Savings Now Exceed $2 Billion

MacIver News Service | October 29, 2012

[Madison,
Wisc...]Act 10 has already saved Wisconsin
state and local governments more than two billion dollars, according to an
analysis released today by the John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy.

All of
this, however, could be in jeopardy the MacIver Institute warns.

By ruling
that parts of Wisconsin Act 10 are unconstitutional and refusing to stay his
decision, Dane County Judge Juan Colas has driven a wedge between taxpayers and
fiscally responsible policies that have already proven successful in the Badger
state.

The
savings Wisconsin has enjoyed as a result of the Act 10 are undeniable. Instead
of deficits totaling billions of dollars and crushing debt that threatens the
state's long-term financial security, taxpayers in Wisconsin have seen more
than two billion dollars in reduced expenditures. In addition, the non-partisan
Legislative Fiscal Bureau is projecting a budget surplus in 2013 for Wisconsin.

"These
reforms have provided Wisconsin families with much-needed property tax relief,
protected vital services for our most vulnerable citizens and saved jobs for
teachers and public safety workers across the state," said Brett Healy,
President of the MacIver Institute. "Now, one man in Madison has put all
of this is doubt."

Because
he's injected himself into the legislative process, Judge Colas is threatening
to undo policies that have benefitted Wisconsinites from Beloit to Superior and
everywhere in between.

"There's
less money coming from the state, and we don't have the ability to tax
more," Attorney Andy Phillips told the MacIver
News Service. "So every dollar we have to spend on personnel, we have
to cut from somewhere else."

Phillips
provides legal counsel to 40 counties, and he has asked Judge Colas to accept
an amicus brief on behalf of Wisconsin County Mutual Insurance Corporation and
the Community Insurance Corporation, of which more than half the state's
counties are members.

The
counties want Judge Colas to stay his decision until the fate of Act 10 is
determined in higher courts. Under the current situation, counties are finding
it nearly impossible to plan their budgets and deal with the unions. In the
brief, Phillips argues that Colas essentially rewrote Act 10 in order to strike
it down.

"The
Act 10 that existed prior to the Court's decision is not the same legislation
as the Act 10 that exists following the Court's decision," the brief
reads. "By virtue of its decision, the Court essentially rewrote the
legislation to impose collective bargaining obligations the legislature clearly
never intended."

Phillips
states that the judge's decision could put local governments across the state
in financial jeopardy.

"Limiting
collective bargaining freed counties, municipalities and school districts to
make necessary changes to costly benefit packages such as health insurance and
other programs without having to provide a quid pro quo for the changes,"
the brief reads. "This, in turn, facilitated the ability of counties,
municipalities and school districts to maintain employment levels while still
meeting the ever-increasing service demands of their taxpayers and
citizenry."

If left
standing by actions of higher courts, the overturn of Act 10 means local
governments will have to lay off employees or cut services.

Already,
unions and organized labor groups are rushing to re-open and renegotiate existing
labor agreements at the expense of labor contracts that have benefitted
taxpayers for almost two years.

$2,273,357,069.77

For more information, contact Sean Lansing: 1.608.237.7290

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MacIver News Service | October 29, 2012

[Madison,\nWisc...]Act 10 has already saved Wisconsin\nstate and local governments more than two billion dollars, according to an\nanalysis released today by the John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy.

\n\n

All of\nthis, however, could be in jeopardy the MacIver Institute warns.

\n\n

By ruling\nthat parts of Wisconsin Act 10 are unconstitutional and refusing to stay his\ndecision, Dane County Judge Juan Colas has driven a wedge between taxpayers and\nfiscally responsible policies that have already proven successful in the Badger\nstate.

\n\n

The\nsavings Wisconsin has enjoyed as a result of the Act 10 are undeniable. Instead\nof deficits totaling billions of dollars and crushing debt that threatens the\nstate's long-term financial security, taxpayers in Wisconsin have seen more\nthan two billion dollars in reduced expenditures. In addition, the non-partisan\nLegislative Fiscal Bureau is projecting a budget surplus in 2013 for Wisconsin.

\n\n

\"These\nreforms have provided Wisconsin families with much-needed property tax relief,\nprotected vital services for our most vulnerable citizens and saved jobs for\nteachers and public safety workers across the state,\" said Brett Healy,\nPresident of the MacIver Institute. \"Now, one man in Madison has put all\nof this is doubt.\"

\n\n

Because\nhe's injected himself into the legislative process, Judge Colas is threatening\nto undo policies that have benefitted Wisconsinites from Beloit to Superior and\neverywhere in between.

\n\n

\n\n

\"There's\nless money coming from the state, and we don't have the ability to tax\nmore,\" Attorney Andy Phillips told the MacIver\nNews Service. \"So every dollar we have to spend on personnel, we have\nto cut from somewhere else.\"

\n\n

Phillips\nprovides legal counsel to 40 counties, and he has asked Judge Colas to accept\nan amicus brief on behalf of Wisconsin County Mutual Insurance Corporation and\nthe Community Insurance Corporation, of which more than half the state's\ncounties are members.

\n\n

The\ncounties want Judge Colas to stay his decision until the fate of Act 10 is\ndetermined in higher courts. Under the current situation, counties are finding\nit nearly impossible to plan their budgets and deal with the unions. In the\nbrief, Phillips argues that Colas essentially rewrote Act 10 in order to strike\nit down.

\n\n

\"The\nAct 10 that existed prior to the Court's decision is not the same legislation\nas the Act 10 that exists following the Court's decision,\" the brief\nreads. \"By virtue of its decision, the Court essentially rewrote the\nlegislation to impose collective bargaining obligations the legislature clearly\nnever intended.\"

\n\n

Phillips\nstates that the judge's decision could put local governments across the state\nin financial jeopardy.

\n\n

\"Limiting\ncollective bargaining freed counties, municipalities and school districts to\nmake necessary changes to costly benefit packages such as health insurance and\nother programs without having to provide a quid pro quo for the changes,\"\nthe brief reads. \"This, in turn, facilitated the ability of counties,\nmunicipalities and school districts to maintain employment levels while still\nmeeting the ever-increasing service demands of their taxpayers and\ncitizenry.\"

\n\n

If left\nstanding by actions of higher courts, the overturn of Act 10 means local\ngovernments will have to lay off employees or cut services.

\n\n

Already,\nunions and organized labor groups are rushing to re-open and renegotiate existing\nlabor agreements at the expense of labor contracts that have benefitted\ntaxpayers for almost two years.